Giga Theorum
by Rosamanelle
Summary: In a world of smoke and machines, a single town stands on the brink of destruction. Velder has been plagued by gang wars more vicious and horrible than anything ever seen before, both sides aiming for one common goal. It's not land or wealth they're after, but a mysterious battery code-named the 'giga theorum.' But there's more than what meets the eye to this 'prize'. Steampunk!AU
1. Chapter 1

Smoke billowed from tall, brick chimneys, the sky filled with a thick, dark smog. In the world below, people hurried down cobbled pathways, heads down, avoiding eye contact as they darted through the soot-streaked streets of Velder, a once prosperous industrial city. Ash swelled off of the ground as a hot, dry wind swept through, carrying with it the scent of smoke and earth as it stirred up the sooty. A particularly sooty cat, its once fluffy ginger coat now matted and dirty from when it fell into a chimney, darted through the pedestrians before leaping into a crumbled building. It was once the pride of the neighborhood, standing an impressive ten stories high and producing only the finest clothing from its seamstresses. That is, until it got stepped on. It was one of the usual territorial spats between the two main gangs that ran Velder. Their names were impossible to pronounce to the common folk, so they were renamed the Black gang - which was formerly known as Qynds Pwt'r - while the other was called the White gang - formerly known as Vakaiyana. What these exotic-sounding words meant escaped the citizens of Velder. The reason behind the naming? The gang's mechas.

You see, mechas were mechanical beasts that were created specifically to replace animals. After all, the weak creatures couldn't survive in the smog-filled atmosphere of Elrios and all died off. Consequently, they created mecha beasts as artificial replacements and all became vegetarian. Curiously enough, all plant life survived, although they were mutated slightly from constant exposure to chemical smog. This phenomenon would probably never be explained, but no one really cared anyways.

Back to Velder. Velder was once the very epitome of industry, with thriving businesses that lined the streets left and right. The skies were marginally cleaner, occasionally letting through a blue color. People wore brightly colored clothes as the thin, piping lines of music from street performers and the familiar hum of the machines rang through the streets, echoing alongside laughter and nonsensical chatter. With an advanced team of researchers, Velder was the first to develop cutting-edge technology of steam-powered machines, even inventing the very first steam-powered mecha beast, not to mention the only existing prototype of a harpy mecha beast. And then the gangs had settled in.

The Black gang and the White gang had started warring over something along the lines of stolen goods - or was it territory? No one was really sure anymore, that's how long they'd been going at it. Now, the Black Gang and the White Gang would've left Velder alone with the exception of the occasional raid, as they weren't particularly interested in the growing city. That is, until the Velder scientists developed a miracle battery with enough power to sustain a city twice the size of Velder. And this battery could be used to power mechas too, steam-powered or not. Now _that_ was worth the attention of both the Black and White gang.

It was only fate from there that the two gangs met, with immediate chaos ensuing. A massive mecha-battle followed, as mechas were the most effective weapon each side possessed. Buildings were flattened, blown to bits, and utterly destroyed. Thousands of houses burned silently as the two gangs battled it out, their great beasts spewing ash, fire, and steam in every direction. The stores were destroyed, the musicians killed, the machines destroyed as the people fled, filling the streets with the sound of gunfire and mechanical stomping.

But it didn't stop there.

The massive battle ended in a draw, the Northern part of Velder becoming the new territory of the Black gang, the Southern half occupied by the White gang. Smack-dab in the center of Velder was the building that contained this marvelous battery, what was formerly a research center but was now deserted. This building was the new permanent battleground of the gangs, engulfing the surrounding area in fire and smoke constantly. No one was stupid enough to venture near it, lest they risk their lives. Velder had become an everlasting battleground, a place of eternal war and conflict. And it was all because of one battery.

A. Single._ Battery._

Was it really worth the lives of thousands of people? Was it worth the destruction and defiling of a once beautiful city? Was it worth all the bloodshed?

To those who were directly involved, the answer was rather simple.

Yes, it was.

* * *

><p>In a dark, slightly musty, nondescript brick building, raucous laughter poured out from the cracks of the shutters which were drawn tight, a neon sign flickering above it, proclaiming it to be a bar. The pale yellow wallpaper peeled away from the walls in long strips in random patterns, wet splotches of moss and mold springing from the exposed boards, accompanied by the cracked frames on the walls with pictures of random objects. Silver pipes jutted from the wall, the faint hiss of steam escaping resounding. Within the bar, which was called The Phoru Crate, several people milled about, sitting on the worn stools or at the slightly rusted tables, each with a massive jug of some cheap beer in one hand, the overwhelming scent of alcohol rolling off of the room in waves. The bartender, a pretty young thing of twenty or so with orange-gold eyes, silver hair, and dark skin who went by the name of Daisy wiped the bar for the umpteenth time, a new layer of grit yielding to her fairly sooty cloth. She scowled darkly, blowing a puff of hair out of her eyes.<p>

"This's the seventh time I've had to change the cloth. Damn city with its smog and gunk floating 'round. Makin' my job pretty damn hard when I should just smile 'n act pretty for the customers."

Her voice held a slight blur of a colorful accent from somewhere in the West, possibly Hamel or Sander, something that had made Daisy the talk of the town when she had first moved. That paired with her good looks and 'unseemly' nighttime job, she was a rather unusual denizen of Velder. The bar, however, was doing fairly well, despite having several slightly better-kept competitors littered around the area. Who knew Velder had so many drunkards?

The door opened, letting in a blast of sooty wind, a slight chime ringing out to alert Daisy of the new customers. Carelessly tossing her soot-blackened cloth to the side, she fixed her elegantly curled hair, resting her perfectly manicured nails against a fresh mug. "Welcome to The Phoru Crate! What can I do for you gents tonight?" The words had barely left her mouth before she froze.

In front of her was a tall man with skin as pale and flawless as porcelain, wide, cyan eyes reflecting her own image in their irises. His honeyed-blonde hair glinted softly in the lantern light, each strand arranged into paradoxically neat yet messy spikes that defied gravity by their very existence. Two longer parts transitioned smoothly into a warm russet color, giving him the appearance of animalistic ears. He wore a simple black pinstripe shirt, a white tie hanging neatly around his neck. His black slacks slightly covered black leather dress shoes, but did nothing to even attempt to hide two beautifully crafted guns, each with a compartment to load the steam packet that was designed to look like a roaring lion's head. Certainly he was handsome, but that wasn't why Daisy froze. No, she froze because he was Chung Seiker.

The leader of the White gang.

Everyone in the bar froze, the warm atmosphere immediately turning icy. "C-Chung Seiker. What can I do for you?" Fighting back nerves, Daisy finally managed to make her voice work again. Chung gave her a vulpine smile, one that sent chills down her back.

"Let's see. You are Daisy Talon, a female bartender with a fiancé named Rod Ross. You moved to Velder from Hamel in hopes of finding better opportunities, but ended up running a bar while your fiancé works at a factory." His blue eyes glittered icily as he spat out his next words venomously. "Daisy Talon, you are useless to me. However, you are going to deliver this message to _dear_ Miss Eve Nasod for me, because I can't be bothered to waste any of my men or women on a mere distraction such as her."

Daisy gulped. Eve Nasod was the female leader of the Black gang, a fearsome and ruthless woman who was known for pulling no punches and her emotionless demeanor. And now Chung Seiker, an equally frightening person of power, was expecting her to deliver a message to her?! That was impossible. Definitely.

Chung slipped a white piece of paper across the bar. "If you fail to deliver this message, or should you dare read the contents, I will dispose of you like the scum you are. Understood?"

Quivering fearfully, Daisy took the piece of paper. "U-Understood!" Chung flashed her a smile that was mockingly bright.

"Good. I leave it to you, then."

Once he left, the bar's customers sorrowfully clapped her on the back and said that they would pay for her funeral. Daisy sobbed and lamented over her pitifully short life.

* * *

><p>Mechas had always made Daisy nervous. It was later in that very same night, and, true to Chung's word, Eve Nasod decided to mosey on by her bar. The night couldn't be any longer. Nervously handing the paper to the silver-haired beauty, Daisy watched as her golden eyes narrowed coldly, before she tore up the paper, scattering the pieces around the bar.<p>

"Worthless scum should know their places." Adjusting the beautiful blue gem adorning her forehead, Eve tossed Daisy a few golden coins to pay for her drink and stalked out of the bar, mounting her massive mecha cockatigle, her smaller, abstract animal mechas - one Stygian black and one snow-white - hovering beside her. Tossing her silver hair that rivaled Daisy's, Eve glared tempestuously at the small settlement, before clicking her black-booted heels against the sides of her great beast. It sputtered to life with a massive roar of the steam-powered engines, orange eyes glowing as it powered on. With a blast of steam and dark smoke, the mecha cockatigle roared, bristling its metallic, rust-brown feathers as it glared at the world before dashing forwards at insanely fast speeds, churning up soot and smoke in its wake.

And then it was gone, disappearing into the night.

* * *

><p>Tossing her hair, Eve casually rode up to a dark, tall building in fairly good condition, still on her mecha. The ebony doors groaned as the gears within them turned, massive chimneys puffing as the doors rolled open, allowing her to pass. Galloping through, Eve pulled her beast to a stop as a petite girl clad in a scant black dress approached her, her messy violet hair pulled into two short pigtails by a black velvet ribbon. Her heels clicked on the ground, a rotund bat-mecha with vicious-looking teeth and glowing amber eyes resting on her head, undoubtedly mussing the violet hair with every step.<p>

"Did you have fun wandering around, Eve?" The girl's amethyst eyes glittered with harsh amusement. "You promised to take me next time..." Although she whined childishly, Eve detected the note of sarcasm in her voice, the childish pout cleverly hiding the shark-like, sharpened teeth that lined her mouth.

Eve snorted, dismounting, waving her hands imperiously as her other two mechas floated over to corral the cockatigle into a mechanical stall that waited for it. "Aisha, you know that I wasn't wandering. And fun? Bah! Who has fun on such tedious trips?" Carding her fingers through silver locks, Eve scowled menacingly. "Those worms have challenged us."

The violet-haired girl, Aisha, raised an eyebrow, removing the bat mecha from her head, flattening the hair that had stuck up. "Did they now?"

Eve's scowl deepened. "I would show you our... ah, invite, however my anger got the better of me and I tore it up." Aisha snorted, before giving a sassy canter of her hip, folding her arms.

"That seems like something you would do. What time?"

Stalking past Aisha, the clicks of her heels on the marble ground rang throughout the empty, black building. "Tomorrow at noon. How cliched."

Dashing after her, Aisha struggled to keep up with her and her longer strides. "And are we going to be accepting their invite?"

Eve scoffed, stopping abruptly. Aisha stumbled to a stop, nearly crashing into Eve, before glaring at her petulantly. Eve folded her arms, looking down her nose. "Insects should stay in the ground, else they be crushed by my boot."

As Eve turned, Aisha grinned wolfishly. "Good. Angkor needed a bit of a test-run before he got rusty."

* * *

><p>Me: And there! So this time I'm challenging the steampunk theme.<p>

Aisha: Really, Captain Obvious. I never would've guessed.

Me: Hush.

Rena: I think that your readers would rather have you update another story rather than create a new one...

Me: Well, they're getting a new story. This one'll be updated in rotation with the others, though, but if you guys like it just let me know and I can update it more often!

Raven: Why steampunk, though? You've never written anything like this.

Me: Exactly.

Elsword: ...I don't get it. Explain? Please?

Eve: Rosa intends to challenge her writing skills by going into a variety of genres, themes, and ideas that she's never done before. Simple enough, right?

Me: EVERYONE SHOULD CHALLENGE THEMSELVES FROM TIME TO TIME.

Chung: Random caps lock abuse time!

Me: It's fun :D Side note: Winter Olympics! Yay! Canada isn't sucking like in the Summer Olympics!

Ara: It might have to do with the fact that you're buried in snow for four months of the year and it sometimes snows in the summer -.-

Me: Hush. Anyway, I'll cheer for absolutely everyone, not just Canada, but I don't like it when the athletes are all like 'OMG that person doesn't deserve it 'cause I'm better and they cheated.' Bad athlete, bad.

Elsa: I think you're rambling. Also, Daisy? Why?

Me: Because Daisy is a plot thickener. No worries, she's nowhere close to being a main, heck, we won't see her again after this until the end of the story essentially! :D

Rena: ...Spoiler alert much?

Me: Okay, now I'm rambling because I have absolutely nothing to say, so... ROLL THE END CREDITS! XD

Chung: Don't forget to R&R!

Aisha: Follow and favorite if you want, too!

Elsword: See you all next chapter!

Me: Love y'all! Chu~


	2. Chapter 2

The click of heels echoed down an effective gray, stone hallway with effective electrical lights and an effective black, metallic door at the end with effective padlocks that were effectively doing their job at keeping people _in_. You see, this was a prison. And _no one_ gets out of prison.

Especially when it was the Black gang's prison.

A young girl with violet locks violently jabbed a key into the padlocks, turning it. With a click, the lock burst open, dropping to the ground. Sighing, Aisha kicked it away, fumbling with her bat mecha for a moment in an attempt not to drop it. Half-heartedly pushing open the metallic door, Aisha stalked down the bleak rows of prison cells, ignoring the people who scrambled up to the iron bars in a desperate attempt to get out, their grimy hands reaching out for her. Smirking to herself, Aisha stopped at the last cell, staring at the person inside.

Inside the cell was a fairly tall, slim woman, her blonde hair ratty and matted. She groaned, turning over on the cold floor, revealing several swellings and bruises that littered her face freely. Aisha gave her a vulpine grin. "Those bruises look good on you, Seris." The woman didn't answer. Rolling her violet orbs, Aisha fished a key off of her key ring, opening up the cell. Entering it carefully, Aisha patted her bat's head, watching as his amber eyes glowed. He gnashed his metallic teeth viciously, beating his spray-painted, eggplant purple wings as he took off from the ground, metallic gaze fixed on the still figure of the woman. Her eyes fluttered, one barely able to open, as her glare bored into Aisha. Aisha scoffed, firmly shutting the cell door behind her, the wrought-iron bars unyielding and cold.

"So, Seris. How do you like the hospitality of the Black gang? It's better than the White gang, am I right?" The woman, Seris, coughed, slowly pulling herself off of the ground. Her dirtied clothing rustled, her hazel eyes bright with hate and anger. Spitting a mixture of spittle and blood at Aisha's feet, she growled.

"You _disgust_ me."

Aisha snickered, covering her mouth with a pale hand in a mockingly polite gesture. "Now, now, Seris. As nice as it is to talk to someone who bites back, I'm here on a mission. Sorry. I know how lonely you are without your precious _Raven_." In an instant, Seris was up on her feet, a twisted bit of metal – most likely from her dismantled bed – in her hands. If it weren't for Angkor's timely burst of noxious gases, Aisha probably would've been pierced through the heart before she could react. Stumbling back, Seris coughed, gasping for air.

"H…How _dare_ you talk about Raven… Raven like that!?" Aisha sighed. Wrinkling her nose, she waved away a bit of the purplish gas, before walking over to Angkor. She fumbled around behind him, before popping open a panel in his back. Reaching into his metallic body, Aisha removed a syringe, its needlepoint gleaming ominously in the fluorescent lighting.

"I can talk about him however I like, Seris. Now, be a good girl and stay still."

Eyes widening as much as they could, Seris took one look at the syringe before she started squirming around on the floor, somehow managing to roll herself on her feet. Aisha tutted. "You aren't underestimating me, are you Seris? I was the one who captured you in the first place, you know." Seris growled.

"Try me."

Seris leapt across the room, reaching under a thin gray blanket before pulling out a bent piece of the bed frame. Aisha rolled her eyes. "What a poorly constructed weapon." Snapping her fingers, Aisha looked at Angkor over her shoulder.

"Angkor. Run sequence 00298, _Binding Circle_."

Eyes flashing in acknowledgement, Angkor rose further into the air, his metal jaw unhinging. The hiss of escaping steam filled the air, before five thick, black cables shot out of Angkor's mouth, each one wrapping around Seris' arms, legs, and waist before piercing the wall with sharp points. Nodding in satisfaction, Aisha approached Seris, syringe in one hand. "Honestly Seris, I thought we were friends?"

Seris glared, thrashing against her restraints. "I'm anything _but_ friends with scum like you."

Aisha snorted, staring at Seris as she reached her. "Really? Then are you my long-lost sister? Or my lesbian lover?" She smirked. "You really have to watch what you say, Seris. A loose tongue could get you in _trouble_." With the last word, Aisha jammed the needle into Seris' arm. Biting her lip in pain, a deep, low growl rose from Seris' throat. Aisha just smirked. "Aw, did that hurt, Seris?" Aisha stared intently at the syringe as she withdrew blood from the writhing blonde's arm. "Okay, I'm done. You can relax now." Removing the syringe, Aisha sashayed to the front of the cell. As she opened the door, she glanced over her shoulder. "Oh and by the way? You're not needed anymore. Angkor." She turned her gaze on the metallic bat who hovered, waiting for orders. "Run sequence 09801, _Petite Angkor: Time Bomb._"

Aisha had just closed the cell door when the bomb went off with a muffled boom.

"Well, that takes care of one pest." She held up the syringe full of blood. "Now to get this to Eve..."

* * *

><p>The day was as gloomy as any, dark soot clouds floating in the murky skies, very little sunlight being filtered through the cloud layer. Below the clouds, a redheaded boy with a sooty patch of black stalked the streets, twirling a sword-shaped pendant on a silver chain around one finger carelessly. His once-neatly pressed black dress shirt was slightly rumpled, part of it untucked from his impossible clean white slacks. One shiny dress shoe was laced with red laces, contrasting oddly with the black of the shoe. A sword-shaped earring that dangled from his left earlobe glinted in the filtered sunlight, sending a brief rainbow of iridescent light to flash through the streets. The boy growled, tugging at his natty locks impatiently, grasping the pendant for a bit, glaring at it. "I should throw this stupid thing away."<p>

Another redhead joined him, casually strolling down the street from the opposite end. Her red hair was mostly left down, part of it pinned up messily, almost carelessly, trails of crimson left to hang in her face. A grim expression was pasted on her pale face, her ruby eyes flashing with equal parts of annoyance and sympathy. "Elsword, you know that if you throw that away, Chung'll kill you. Literally." The woman was clad in a simple black tank top, beige shorts, and a long, black coat that was slightly singed at the hem.

The boy, Elsword, snorted, folding his arms, the pendant dangling from one hand. "So what if this damn thing is his 'lifeline?' He shouldn't have given it to me, then. You know exactly how much I hate him, Elesis." Elesis raised a delicate red eyebrow, folding her arms and cantering a hip. Elsword glowered darkly at her. "Oh my El, stop trying to make me feel bad. The 'look' doesn't work on me anymore." Elesis snorted.

"Hey, it was worth a try."

Rolling his eyes, Elsword swung the pendant around again, still glaring at his sister. "Chung _knows_ that I hate his fucking guts. I could crush this piece of junk and then he wouldn't be able to start his damn mecha. Why give it to me?"

Elesis sighed, brushing a stray strand of red out of her face, a hand automatically checking for her weapon of choice, a semi-automatic flamethrower gun. "That's because he knows you won't. Like it or not, he's your leader. A petty vendetta like yours isn't going to stop that."

Elsword snatched the pendant out of the air, fixing Elesis with a frosty glare that looked like a cross between burning hatred and crushing disappointment. "_Our _vendetta, Elesis. Not just mine. Have you forgotten what that _beast_ did to our family?!"

Shrugging, Elesis walked closer to Elsword, examining her nails with the most casual air she could pull off in the tense atmosphere. "Yeah. He killed mom."

Elsword fumed, his face darkening a shade. "And how are you not angry?! Don't you wish she was still alive!?"

Elesis snorted, closing in on Elsword, leering down at him. Her crimson eyes gleamed blood-red in the dim lighting, an unamused expressed etched across her face. "Of course I don't." Pale lips twisted into a sneer, a distinct burning hatred sparking in her eyes. "She wasn't a monster because of that toxin. Hell, that bitch was a monster even _before_ we knew the toxin existed! She was going to die anyways, Elsword. You know that. And if that bitch was going to die, she was going to drag us down into the depths of hell with her."

Elsword glared at Elesis, hackles raised. "The _toxin_ turned her into a monster! Mom was never like that before! That bastard Chung _killed _her for no good reason! How can you say that she was going to kill us?! She's our _mother_ for Lady El's sake!" He spat angrily, eyes narrowed into furious slits. "You're a fucking bitch, Elesis. She would _never _do anything like that."

Elesis scowled, her eyebrow twitching. "She killed people and then fucking _ATE_ them, Elsword! The toxin has absolutely nothing to do with what she fucking did! You expect me to call that cannibalistic monster my mother? I'd rather die!"

Elsword glared at Elesis, his fists clenching angrily, his nails cutting thin, bloody crescents into his palms. "The Alterasia spore made people do things they've never done before." His voice was strangely calm and even, only his eyes betraying his pure anger.

Elesis scoffed. "She was like that _long _before the Alterasia spore leak, Elsword."

Clenching his jaw, Elsword continued to glare at Elesis, before turning on his heel. "I don't fucking care what you've got to say anymore, Elesis. Hell, you could tell me that you're getting married and I won't give a damn." Letting out a heavy breath, Elsword fiddled with the chain, glaring menacingly at the sword-shaped pendant before slipping it reluctantly over his head, letting it settle below his collarbone. "There's an hour until noon; hurry up and get your mecha. We've got an appointment with the fucking Black gang."

Elesis watched absently as Elsword stalked away, blowing yet another stray strand out of her face. Once he was gone, Elesis allowed a slight smirk to cross her face. "You know Chung, he's never going to stop hating you."

Stepping out from an alleyway, the blond chuckled. "Sharp as ever, Elesis. The hatred's good for him, keeps him on his toes and keeps him motivated." The redhead sighed, her fingers brushing her weapon once more.

"I've always wondered this, but why did you switch from gunpowder to steam-powered? Your guns, I mean."

Arching an eyebrow, Chung glanced at his gleaming silver pistols. "Convenience, I guess. Gunpowder's messy and takes a while to load up, where I can just shove a steam cartridge in and reload the bullets." Shrugging, he flicked a bit of dust off of his suit. "But Elsword is right. About our... appointment. You should prepare, we'll need the firepower."

Elesis snorted. "Pun intended?"

Chung grinned wolfishly. "Absolutely." Nodding, Elesis saluted mockingly, turning to trail after her younger brother. Chung huffed, staring down at his guns. "Now I have to use my beautiful guns on such filth. How irritating."

* * *

><p>Eve flipped her silver hair, staring at Aisha. "You have it?" Nodding proudly, the purple-haired girl removed the vial of Seris' blood from Angkor's back.<p>

"Here you go! I still don't understand how this will work though, Eve..."

Eve snorted, sending an acerbic glare at her mass of wires and metal. "Raven is a strong opponent. Last time we clashed, he took out five of our men." Ignoring Aisha's muttered 'and women', Eve injected the blood into a strange, metallic container that was shaped to be like a human heart. "Do you remember that lab we raided last month?" Without waiting for an answer, Eve continued. "This is what we stole from it; a human mecha. It's a very advanced type of mecha too. See this?" She tapped the heart container with a pale index finger, a sly grin crossing her pale face. "When human blood is mixed with oil, the mecha will copy the appearance of the owner of the blood."

Aisha sent out a vulpine grin. "So... We're fighting Raven with Seris then, are we?" Eve nodded approvingly.

"You're a sharp girl. With this human mecha, we can create a super fighting machine, one that will render Chung, Raven, and the rest of the White gang useless."

Pouting childishly, Aisha fiddled with the hem of her dress. "You forgot about Elesis and her bratty brother, Elsword." Eve smirked, connecting two wires together.

"Ah, the bastard children of the Sieghart family? They shouldn't be a problem. After all, they were exiled from their own family tree."

Shrugging, Aisha twirled a piece of hair around her fingers. "So what're we calling this mecha? Calling it Seris would be pretty pathetic."

Eve stared at the wires, connecting a few more. "Rena."

Aisha snorted, tossing her hair as she patted Angkor's metallic head. "Oh, aren't you cruel? Naming the mecha with the appearance of Seris after Chung's mother! What a lovely way to throw those worms for a loop."

A small grin of triumph spread across Eve's features. "Isn't that the point?"

* * *

><p>Me: As of today, May 3rd, I am celebrating my one-year anniversary on Fanfiction dot net!<p>

Elsword: Thank you to everyone who's supported us up until now!

Aisha: We've made a lot of great friends over the internet in many different countries.

Rena: It honestly means a lot to us that you guys even bothered to read/review any of our stories~!

Raven: Writing stories like this has become a major part of our lives, so we hope you can look forward to more great stories in the future.

Eve: Thank you to all the readers, reviewers, followers, and favoriters from all around the world.

Chung: As a one-year anniversary gift, every single one of Rosa's currently ongoing stories will be getting an update!

Ara: This includes: Oh My El, Fairyless: The Story Behind the Magic, and Smile Industry Inc.

Elesis: Please check them out if you have the time, as well as her one-shots!

Add: And now onto reviewer replies!

Blazing - Yeah, Canada's pretty wonky sometimes ^^;; Steampunk is like low-tech with steam instead of electricity. It's a branch of sci-fi! It's basically divided on the cover, red = Eve and blue = Chung, so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out~! If Els ans Elesis were in different gangs then I would be so confuse I'd spontaneously combust XD 8000 word chapter for OME complete! And Raven's somewhere waaaaaaay in the back behind Rena (I think...)

Ephema-chan - *resurrection stone'd* Welcome back to the world of the living! I kinda knew when I got the idea that this story wouldn't become wildly popular; right now I'm just happy I even have two reviews ^^ Daisy is a mail woman who'll never show up again, there is a very high chance of ISxVP, and we'll get to see insane flamethrower action in the next chapter! Thank you for supporting this story~!

Me: So, once again, thank you everyone who's supported me up until now!

Elsword: Don't forget to R&R!

Chung: Favorites and follows are always appreciated ^^

Elesis: See you guys next chapter!

Me: Love y'all! Chu~


	3. Chapter 3

Shutting the back on the human mecha, Eve stood up. Aisha stood up as well, quickly snatching up a white towel and holding it out to Eve. Accepting the proffered towel, Eve wiped the grease from her hands before flipping a switch beneath the mecha's left ear. With a shuddering, groaning noise, its green eyes lit up with an eerie glow, thin metallic wires the color of gold spiraling out of its scalp until they reached its mid-back. Spindly limbs shook as the mecha pulled itself off of the ground, legs neatly folding under its body as it kneeled. Pushing itself up, a mirror image of Seris rose, staring blankly at Eve and Aisha.

Stumbling backwards, the purplenette nearly shrieked as the mecha turned its gaze to her. "I-It looks so human...! Is this even possible?!" Turning to face Eve, the mecha's glowing eyes flashed.

"Subject #003829876 reporting. All systems steady. Fuel levels at 98%. Awaiting commands."

Nodding thoughtfully, Eve folded her arms. "Subject #003... 0035 - no, 0038... 00383 - Ack!" Giving up on the serial number, Eve pointed at the mecha. "You. We'll be renaming you Rena. Understood?"

Rena's eyes flashed. "Request accepted. Subject Rena reporting. Awaiting further commands."

Sighing, Eve turned to Aisha. "Go fetch Rena some clothing. We cannot have her going out onto the battlefield buck naked, now can we?"

Aisha giggled. "I'm sure Raven wouldn't mind if she did." Furrowing her eyebrows, Eve sent Aisha a frosty glare. "I have no need for such vulgarity, Aisha. Watch your mouth or I will cut out your tongue and feed it to my mecha." Cackling, Aisha exited the room, avoiding the gaze of the mecha the whole time.

Clearing her throat, Eve turned back to Rena. "I have orders for you, Rena. You are to intercept the White Gang today at noon and diminish their numbers as much as possible before we arrive. What equipment do you require, besides a communicator?"

Staring blankly, Rena went rigid. "Commands received. Processing question. Pending request..." A few moments later, the lithe metal body relaxed. "Requesting a blade and a bow."

Eve raised a silvery eyebrow. "Seris's specialties, hmm? I should have guessed, what with the properties of this particular mecha." Walking over to the door, Eve flipped open a cap that covered a slender tube. "Aisha, can you hear me?"

A few seconds later, a muffled reply was heard. _"Yeah, loud and sort of clear. Whadd'ya want now?"_

Eve scowled. "Watch your tone. My offer to remove your tongue still stands, you insolent wench." Her only reply was an amused chuckle. "Putting that matter aside, Rena requires a blade and a bow. Are Seris's in good enough condition to use?"

Some shuffling and clinking, following by a loud bang and vivid cursing.

_"They're good, one of her stupid bombs just exploded on me. The sword might need to be repaired a bit, though. We weren't exactly... nice once we caught her. Think it'll be okay for now?"_

Eve snorted. "As much as I hate those worms, their main mechanic is quite competent. The sword will be fine. Now hurry and bring it here." Letting the cap fall back with a clatter, Eve spun on her heel to face the mecha once more. It hadn't moved from its earlier spot, eyes still trained on the silver-haired woman. "How long will your fuel supply last?"

Rena remained silent, the gears within her whirring quietly. "Approximately 12.6 hours if in idle mode." Eve folded her arms, shifting her weight to one side. "And if in battle mode?" More silence. "Approximately 9.2 hours if in battle mode."

Smirking, Eve smiled. "Nine hours is more than enough for you to complete your mission. Now, if you excuse me, I need to prepare my men for battle. Aisha will be in shortly with your equipment. You are to leave for your mission after you have everything."

Rena nodded stiffly. "Commands received."

* * *

><p>Chung gazed out at the deserted plaza, seated atop his massive white Ancient Phoru mecha, idly rubbing at a streak of grime that marred the surface. Elsword shot him venomous glares every few seconds from his spot beside him, fingers twitching over the hilt of his retractable blade every now and then. His ruby eyes narrowed further as Elesis, perched precariously on a metallic golem that dripped fire with every step, appeared on Chung's other side. She sent him a glare, before childishly sticking out her tongue. Elsword growled.<p>

Further back, Raven, a man with black locks streaked prematurely with white and a wicked-looking armor-plated arm, scoffed. "We're like sitting ducks out in this plaza. And my arm's beginning to hurt. They need to hurry up and come so I can beat the crap out of them and get this damn armor off."

Elesis laughed, nearly falling back off of her mecha. Regaining her balance, she sent Raven a sly look. "You're the one who has to wear it because you nearly got your arm chopped off last time. Pay more attention next time, _big guy_." Snarling at the mocking nickname, Raven glared at her, amber eyes narrowed into slits.

"I was going to chop off my arm myself, dumbass. I'm not letting some pipsqueak with a fucking flying eggplant hold my arm down!"

Laughing again (this time making sure she wouldn't fall off), Elesis turned around to face Raven. "That 'pipsqueak with a flying eggplant' nearly beat you last time. Work harder!"

Before Raven could retort, one of the mounted riders further back let out an ear-piercing scream. Whipping around in his seat, Elsword barely moved his mecha out of the way before a bomb exploded. Dismounting, he ran through the crowd, leaping up onto a broken bit of building to scope out the scene.

"Someone's attacking the rear of the group!"

Chung scowled. "How many people are in the attack and how many injuries have we suffered?"

Squinting, Elsword's mouth dropped open. "Two people in the attack group! Wait... One person in the attack group! There're at least five people down!"

"Tch." Turning to Elesis and Raven, Chung's eyes turned cold. "You two. I want the bastard's head. Now."

Elesis grinned as Raven nodded silently. "Yessir."

Rushing into the fray, Elesis pulled out her gun, leaping over the people in her way in time to see the blonde assailant shoot an exploding arrow into the group, catching several people in the explosion.

"Seris?!"

The blonde turned, green eyes flashing. "Target acquired: Elesis Sieghart." Elesis narrowed her eyes. "You're not Seris." Lifting her gun, Elesis fired a massive blast of fire out at the blonde. Unfazed by the fiery blast, the blonde darted through the flames, raising its blade.

"Sequence 00345: _Furious Engage_." The blade slashed down. Leaping out of the way, Elesis stared in horror as the blade pierced the ground beneath them like butter. Turning swiftly, the blonde slashed again, only to be intercepted by Raven's blade.

"Get out of my way, Elesis. You aren't equipped to deal with this."

"Target acquired: Raven Taker."

Rolling out of the way, Elesis grabbed her whip, cracking it. "Raven, you don't understand. I heard rumors that the Black Gang had one of these, but apparently it's true."

The blonde scowled slightly, not expecting resistance. Raising the blade again, the blonde hacked away at Raven's defense furiously, forcing him to block her earth-shattering blows.

"That thing that looks exactly like Seris! It's a mecha!"

Before Raven could register what Elesis said, the mecha's foot flashed out, nearly coming in contact with his jaw. Backing up a few steps, Raven's eyes narrowed. "Fuck."

The mecha's eyes flashed and darted forwards, feinting a jab to the left before abruptly changing its grip and slashing upwards. Raven parried, slashing at its stomach ruthlessly. Rotating on the ball of his foot, Raven swung his sword out. As the mecha blocked, he curled his armor-plated fingers and clawed down the its side, tearing through the metallic outer shell and cutting several wires. Without flinching, the mecha and Raven locked blades once more. Suddenly, the mecha stepped back and to the side, allowing Raven to fall past it. Nocking an arrow faster than the eye could follow, aimed it swiftly at Raven.

"Sequence 00371: _Trapping Arrow - Buster._"

Releasing the arrow, it split into five, stabbing into the ground around Raven before blowing up violently. Elesis, who had waited quietly, struck out, cracking the whip so it wrapped around the mecha's neck tightly. "Raven! Now!"

Leaping out of the smoke, blade at the ready, Raven prepared to strike the momentarily disabled mecha. Recovering, its green eyes flashed.

"Sequence 003001: _Innocent_."

The entire area exploded in a fury of light and noise, fire and smoke curling up from the ground. Chung narrowed his eyes. "Now they've really done it... No more mercy. They die. Today."

From in behind of him, Eve chuckled. "I see Rena is getting under your skin. But aren't you a bit too optimistic, Chung? Me? Die today? How amusing. _You_ are the one who's going to die, Chung."

Turning around in his seat, Chung smirked at Eve. "We'll see."

_Days until the end of the world: 10_

* * *

><p>Me: AND CUT!<p>

Aisha: It took you nearly three months for you to update this.

Rena: You've also got three other stories that need an update.

Raven: And a oneshot to write.

Eve: And school to prepare for.

Me: NOOOOOO! NOT THE HORROR CALLED SCHOOL! I THOUGHT I BURNED THAT PLACE DOWN!

Elsword: Lol nope XD It's still there...

Rena: Aww c'mon, at least you got a break from school! It's not like you're going to be stuck there forever~

Me: BUT I AM. BECAUSE I APPARENTLY NEED TO GO JOIN LOTS OF CLUBS ACCORDING TO MY FAMILY. AND CLUBS ARE BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL.

Elesis: Oh well, too bad for you :P

Me: But now... ONTO REVIEWER REPLIES!

Ruby - Yes, she is. And yes, everyone in this story is evil or dishonored or both. Hehehehe... I'M SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT YOU TO SHAME! BUT IF YOU CONSIDER IT RATIONALLY YOU'VE GOTTEN OVER 7 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF REVIEWS FOR GATE OF SHEOL THAN FOR THIS STORY! But I'm not going to loose to you in terms of evil and depressing :P As for the lack of reviews... It's because it's not easy-to-read high school fluff! Which is apparently what everyone wants to read now! *facepalm* Oh no, you know me too well... Yes, Aren is going to be in this story, buuut... His relationship with Elesis is going to be veeeery strained. I can't disclose info about pairings, though ;) He he he he... Update in a week and a half... he he he he *shot*

xXxBlazing Heart xXx - Oh, no worries, you can review whenever you like! As for what happened to the Siegharts... There's some info available (coughcoughinsanemotherthateatspeoplecoughcough) but more will be revealed later, so stay tuned!

Amii Nemesis - Thank you very much! I'm sorry for making you wait so long for another chapter ^^;

Me: *is now crying in a corner*

Chung: ...What's up with her?

Eve: She realized that school is in less than two weeks.

Me: *sob* Roll the end credits...

Eve: Do not forget to R&R or I will remove your tongue for you.

Ara: O_O F-FOLLOW AND FAVORITE IF YOU WANT, TOO!

Add: See you all next chapter.

Me: Love y'all! Chu~ Now... *continues to cry in a corner*


	4. Chapter 4

[WARNING:] This chapter contains some possibly graphic content due to the brutal nature of this fictional war. Gruesome details have been left to a minimum, but the human imagination is a powerful thing. Those who are squeamish and/or prone to nausea may want to proceed with caution (I swear it's not that bad, really).

* * *

><p>An alarm from somewhere deep within the city wailed, screaming for its non-existent residents to flee. Its strident cries were lost amongst the noise of battle, fading to a thin, high whine.<p>

The ground exploded, sending dirt and rock flying into the air. Several chunks crashed into mechas that darted about the ground, sending their riders sprawling. Elesis scoffed, flicking her wrist and slicing a stone flying her way neatly with her whip. "Newbies. You can never trust them." Clicking her tongue, she scanned the battlefield, respectfully bowing her head whenever she saw her fallen comrades.

She sighed and flicked her wrist again, her whip cracking against the ground thunderously. "It's about time I stepped in."

Her mecha suddenly put on a burst of speed, manoeuvring in between debris swiftly. It roared, mechanical gears whirling within it. Elesis sighed, checking the pressure gauge in front of her, giving it a delicate flick. "Fuel levels 90%. Alright then, let's do this. Double flame output! Let it burn!" The mecha roared again, the slowly dripping flames suddenly roaring to life in all directions, filling the air with more smoke. Elesis reached behind her hood, quickly pulling out a black gas mask and securing it around her face.

Charging into the battlefield, Elesis stood and hooked her foot in a metallic strap, turning swiftly to wrap her whip around an unsuspecting victim's neck.

The man let out a strangled choke, hands flying up to his neck to try to loosen the noose. Elesis grinned savagely behind the mask, sharply tugging her whip, letting it uncoil from around his neck. With a shriek, the man fell to the ground in a lump of flesh, coughing and covering his nose as smoke filled his lungs. Elesis shook her head, a hand on her hip as her whip lay slack by her feet.

"Goodbye, pitiful human."

Her mecha seemed to follow her train of thought, raising a fiery foot and bringing it down on the fallen man. Elesis wrinkled her nose as the smell of burning flesh reached her, scoffing at his incessant screaming. "Golly, you'd think that they'd man up and stop screaming. Just another way that the White Gang is superior, I suppose."

Grinning wildly once more, Elesis turned her gaze on the remaining gang members in a very predatory manner. "Who's next?"

* * *

><p>A few feet away, Elsword scoffed at his sister's antics, ducking smoothly under the axed blade of his opponent, both his and her mecha long abandoned in favour of battling it out on a stretch of flat rooftop. Aisha scoffed, her petite form coiling with power as she prepared her next attack. "Going to dodge this one too, pretty boy?"<p>

Elsword snarled, viciously slashing at Aisha's unprotected stomach, forcing her to dodge. "Hell no." Flipping his blade so the edge faced upwards, he drew back as if preparing to stab. "Cornwell! Attack Pattern 3! Sword Blasting!"

Eyes widening, Aisha retreated a few steps and bodily threw herself to the side, rolling to reduce the damage. Elsword's sword stabbed through the air with enough force for it to be audible, its end marked by several explosions that rocked the rooftops. As Aisha got to her feet, she spun, axe extended, blade aimed for Elsword's ankle tendons in an attack nasty enough to cripple him for life.

Elsword stabbed his sword into the shingles, knowing that the building was sturdy enough to handle the extra damage. The two blades collided with a loud clang, the force jarring Aisha's arms. Gritting her teeth, Aisha changed the angle of approach, her weapon sliding up the blade with a horrible grating noise and slashing dangerously close to Elsword's face. Stepping back to avoid the attack, Elsword thrust forwards while reaching back to the second sword strapped across his back. Aisha chortled, backing up warily as she carefully examined her surroundings.

"Oh? Am I pressuring you, little boy?"

Elsword gave her a feral grin, unsheathing his second sword. In all honesty, his second sword was the simplest Aisha had ever seen; a simple, single-edged, curved blade with a basic handle guard - nothing too complex, everything was very basic and practical.

Yet every time that damn sword was drawn, it sent shivers down her spine.

There was something about its simplicity that frightened her; there were no surprises in the form of bombs and poison-coated edges like Elsword's Cornwell. It was just a sword, just a tempered piece of steel with a sharp edge. Nothing about it should have been even remotely terrifying, not when she had to deliver torture and pain and chemical weapons on a daily basis.

It was the single most horrifying thing she had seen.

It practically radiated a dark, malicious vibe, promising pain and an ugly death to anyone that crossed its path. The blade sang with glee when it bit into the soft, pliant flesh of a human, denting bone and gouging it with relative ease. She had never seen a blade dig into bone before Elsword's, and the image would likely be burned into her mind for all eternity.

"Nope, I figured just that it's about time I ended this."

_Rot in the pits of hell, scum, _it seemed to whisper, glinting evilly in Elsword's right hand. Steeling her nerves, Aisha lifted her fingers to her lips, whistling sharply and clearly as she allowed a smirk to cross her face. "Aren't you clichéd? I guess it's only respectable for me to follow suit, then."

Elsword scowled as Angkor's mechanical head came into sight, perching himself precariously on Aisha's head. "And here I was, thinking you were going to fight me without your worthless tricks."

Aisha tilted her head, an arrogant half-smile scrawled on her lips as she drawled lazily, almost mockingly. "And here I was, thinking that _you_ were going to fight me without _your_ worthless tricks. The whole 'slash and explode' routine is getting old, little boy."

Elsword growled, pulling back into an offensive stance, legs spread and blades raised. "At least Cornwell is a blade, unlike your shitty little bat that can't do anything but spew chemicals in the air."

Aisha, maintaining her calm face despite her trembling heart - the plain silver blade affected her more than she liked to think - snorted, shifting her stance in preparation for the soon-to-be-delivered attack. "Angkor is good for much, much more than that. For example..." She waved a hand imperiously, motioning towards Elsword. "Plasma Cutter!"

A beam of white-hot fire streamed forth, shooting towards Elsword at immense speeds. Curling his upper lip, Elsword ducked, leaping to the side as Angkor changed its firing path. Soon it was like a game of tag, Elsword avoiding the fiery streaks while getting in as close as possible to Aisha in order to hit her.

Seeing his approach, Aisha lashed out, grunting as her weapon connected with his. Elsword parried, ducking under the shaft of Aisha's axe to cut in, aiming at Aisha's stomach and leg. Quickly weighing her options, Aisha let go of her axe and dropped low to the ground, a leg flashing out to hook around Elsword's ankle. Taking his foot out from underneath him, Aisha snatched her weapon and raised it above her head, ready to bring it down on his skull. Before Elsword could move away or Aisha could swing, light flashed down from the sky as an explosion rocked the building they stood on, tearing through the rooftop like it was paper and sending the duo plummeting to the ground.

* * *

><p>Raven snarled as he viciously snapped some poor sucker's neck, cold eyes darting around the battlefield before he urged his mecha on, colliding head-on with another mecha. His gnarled Glitter-mecha groaned under the weight of the larger Phoru mecha but held fast, gradually forcing the other mecha's metallic skin to fold and buckle. The force crushed delicate steam turbines, steam hissing loudly as it escaped into the atmosphere, the Phoru's flickering gold eyes fading as its head hung limp. The rider atop the mecha gave Raven a horrified glance, quickly jumping off of his ride in an attempt to flee. Raven didn't let him.<p>

The Glitter mecha let out a puff of steam, whirling around dangerously fast and snatching up the ill-fated rider in one metallic claw, bringing him towards Raven. Raven's lips curled into a sneer, eyeing the rider's struggles with disgust. "And you call yourself a fighter. Pathetic."

In one smooth motion, he drew back his sword and plunged it deep into the rider's neck, grinning in satisfaction as the blade tore through his flesh and gleamed on the other side. Removing the blade, Raven flicked his wrist to remove some of the blood that glittered across its steely surface, watching impassively as the rider's body went slack, blood pouring from the gaping hole in his neck.

Droplets of blood fell to the ground below, glittering in the dim sunlight like morbid rubies, splattering on the ground silently. To any onlookers, should they have dared to stay behind, it would serve as a reminder of those who have fallen.

To those in battle, it was a reminder of what was at stake.

_Days until the end of the world: 9_

* * *

><p>Hi. I'm back with another chapter of Giga Theorem!<p>

So I wasn't sure if people would get mad at me if I didn't put a violence warning in the beginning of the chapter, so I put one anyway. Yeah, people like to complain to me about that (on some of the other sites I used to frequent, at least).

I honestly don't know where I'm going with this.

It's like herding cats; I start with one idea, drop it into the idea pen, then start chasing the other and totally forget about the first. So if you notice any inconsistencies, please point them out and I'll try to fix them.

Moving on, REVIEWER REPLIES!

dawnstar91 - Aww, thank you! You can expect Ara to make her grand entrance next chapter, but I have no clue about Add. As for AddxAra... I'll see what I can do!

Eternal Heart Rhythm - You will NOT believe the trouble I had writing your name XD I kept writing 'Heart Eternal - no, Eternal Heat Ryth - no...' Moving on, thank you very uch! I'm glad you like it!

Koto Masaki - Oh! Well, I'm glad that you AND your friends like this story! I hope you continue to support me!

And because I have nothing else to say, I'm signing off! Don't forget to R&R, favorite and follow if you want, and see you all next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

There was something strange in the air, something that made Ara's skin tingle. It wasn't the usual blood-thirsty prickle that ran down her spine at the first wind of a battle; this was something much, much different.

The ebony-haired lady stopped in her tracks, the bag she was rolling along gently crashing into her heels. Paying it no mind, she reached into her worn, brown cloak, battered by vicious winds and biting sands, pulling out a crumpled, yellowed sheet of parchment. Orange eyes flicked coldly over the drawings - a map depicting several vast continents - before roughly shoving it back into her cloak pocket. She sighed, muttering under her breath as she drew the large rolling bag closer to her slim frame. "Don't worry, Aren... I'm almost there."

The back of her neck was tingling again. The strange, foreboding feeling was back, trickling down her spine like a bead of cold sweat. What could it be? Dare she say it, could it be... _him_? No, it couldn't. This felt much... older, much more dangerous.

This was something ominous and threatening, ready to swallow her whole.

She shivered, partially with excitement and partially with dread.

After all, when else would she get the opportunity to face such worthy opponents?

Drawing her ratty cloak around her shoulders, Ara tugged the bag along, gaze set determinedly on the distant explosions, the sky raining fire and ash. Faint screams echoed through the abandoned streets. She glanced back at her bag, gently brushing some dust off of its pale surface. "Don't worry, Aren..." Orange eyes glinted with a strange, burning fire. "I'm almost there."

* * *

><p>Elsword awoke to the sounds of screaming. Groggy and disorientated, he sat up and rubbed his head, feeling a dull throb. More screams rang through the air, and the acrid smell of smoke and burnt flesh tickled his nostrils, making him gag.<p>

Oh.

That's right.

He was in the middle of a fight when the roof broke, wasn't he? Pulling himself up to his feet, Elsword quickly scanned his surroundings for any immediate threats, scrabbling to pick up his sword as fast as humanly possible. Once Cornwell was cradled carefully in his hands - he could replace the other blade, but Cornwell was one-of-a-kind - his shoulders relaxed although his gaze remained sharp. Something about the blade comforted the red-head, although he had no idea what it was.

Giving the room another once-over, he noticed a small, moving lump in the far back of the warehouse. He looked closer.

It was Aisha.

The petite, black-clad purplenette was unconscious, her chest rising and falling slowly as crimson blood trickled from a gash in her head. Elsword scowled, stalking closer to her, his sword raised. Reaching her, he looked down at her limp, helpless form. He was reluctant to kill her, feeling as if she was some sort of kindred spirit - both of them were forced into this dark, dark world; both of them were twisted beyond repair because of it.

That was part of the reason why he always singled Aisha out in battle, really. His addled, frenetic trains of thought all lead to one end result: if anyone was going to kill Aisha, it would be him. No one but a kindred soul would kill her. The other part - secretly, he thought, as he would never, ever say something this embarrassing aloud - was the glint of fear he sometimes saw crossing Aisha's pretty eyes. It was like watching a cornered animal, one that was prepared to die as long as they took you down with it.

It enthralled him.

Maybe it was just some strange, feral instincts that had awakened over the course of the many battles, but the effects were undeniable: He wanted to savor the hunt. He was a predator, she was the prey. The second the purple-haired girl showed fear, she became his prey.

And he'd be damned if he let her escape.

Elsword sighed. Elesis was going to kill him later, but...

He sheathed Cornwell and bent down to the girl. Picking her arms up none-too-gently, Elsword slung the girl unceremoniously on his back like a sack of potatoes. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as Aisha's uneven breaths brushed against it. He shuddered, the slight action jolting the girl uncomfortably.

"Tch."

Clicking his tongue, Elsword slowly picked his way around and through the rubble littering the ground, following the sounds of the screaming. On his shoulder, Aisha stirred slightly, a low groan leaving her parted lips. Elsword glanced over his shoulder as he stopped to pick up her axe, rolling his eyes when the girl merely shifted and went back to being unconscious.

He got the feeling that the girl would be much, _much_ more entertaining when she was awake.

* * *

><p>Eve glanced around the battlefield slowly, taking in the death and destruction like it was nothing. After all, this was rather normal for her. Gazing at several corpses with cold eyes, Eve tossed her silvery hair and scanned the battlefield for her group. A deep voice chuckled from somewhere to her left.<p>

"Looking for your bitches, Eve?"

She didn't bother to look at Raven, unconcerned that he had gotten so close to her. "Not particularly. I am simply calculating the number of insects I must crush." Raven scowled, folding his arms.

"You never change, do you?"

A cold smirk crept up the side of Eve's face, disappearing as quickly as it came. "Of course I do not. Now, I believe you were going to deliver me your report? Raven."

The ebon-haired man snorted. "In the middle of a battlefield? Tch. I'm disappointed in you, Eve." He was met with a frosty silence as Eve glanced over her shoulder, her amber orbs casually flicking over Raven's battle-mussed appearance.

"Says the one that came to me in the first place." Her eyes flashed. "Report. Now."

Rolling his eyes, Raven adjusted himself on the seat of his mecha. "Fine, you fucking princess. Status report: No changes. Chung doesn't seem to have anything up his sleeve, and if he does he hasn't told me. Elsword has grown more restless than usual, especially after you killed Seris. By the way, was that really necessary? We were an... 'item', you know."

Eve sighed, shaking her head. A large explosion went off nearby, the resulting blast of wind tossing her silver hair wildly. Fixing her hair as the smoke and fire rose in the background, Eve shifted her gaze to the gruesome scene before her. "You did not even like her." Another explosion cut her off, followed by several agonized screams and some weak war-cries. "She was nothing but a plaything; hadn't she outlived her usefulness? No new information was coming in from her. It is best to tie up all loose ends before they become... problematic, you know."

Raven shrugged casually, a hand running through black hair. If the two of them weren't in the middle of a battlefield, it would almost have been like they were having a regular chat at, perhaps, a café. "Does it matter that I didn't like her? It gave me a reason to get into other's shit. Nothing like the whole 'you're-messing-with-my-girl' line. And you're not being secretive about this shit at all, bitch. What kind of double-agent gives reports in the middle of El-damned _territory battles_?!"

Eve snorted uncharacteristically. "I am the _Queen_ of death and destruction. I hardly care about what you think, peasant. Now leave; your presence is no longer required." Raven rolled his eyes - a habit he had picked up from the now-deceased Seris, something he was desperately trying to stop doing - and swept a mocking bow towards Eve.

"As you wish, you damn princess."

And then he was gone.

Eve's lips curled up in response. "If I am the princess, then you are the pawn. Bastard."

* * *

><p>Elesis never felt as alive as she did when she killed. After the... incident with her mother - not that she'd ever accept that the she-beast was her mother - a little part of her was dead inside, never to revive. And, despite her hatred for the woman, the similarities between Elesis and her mother continued to crop up.<p>

Like this.

Her mother was a sadistic, evil woman with wavy, dyed maroon hair, a vulpine smile, and large, sharp eyes that she often batted seductively at the many men that courted her. Karis, she was called, although her real name was Katherina. Karis, with her deceptively attractive looks, brought home a different man every night - which was exactly how both Elesis herself and Elsword were born.

Karis never liked them. She ignored them for the most part or had them perform her chores for her. Sometimes she even used them to add to her appeal. Elesis never likes her; the fact that she was partially named after her always left a foul taste in her mouth. Elsword on the other hand craved a motherly figure and relied completely on Karis as a pillar of support. Not that she did a good job.

Even when she was young, Elesis knew something was wrong with the woman. Despite the countless men she brought home, only a few made it back out. She learned the truth when she was eight. Karis - insane, horrible, dreadful Karis - mostly brought men home so she could kill them. A sick pleasure of hers. She would make them feel comfortable, then take her favorite knife from out of a cupboard and slit their throats. But that wasn't the worst of it, no, it was far from the end.

She ate them.

Only some parts, really. The heart, the stomach, and some of the intestines. Still, that was more than enough for an eight-year-old to tolerate. Elesis remembered vividly the acrid taste of bile rising up her throat when she opened up Karis's 'backup food supply' and saw all of her 'food.'

Just the thought of it made her sick to her stomach.

Shortly after, there was a leak in Alterian spore - a toxic, drug-like gas that latched onto its victims and slowly poisoned their bodies and minds. Karis had managed to get herself infected, and somewhere in between her dirty little secret was discovered. Elesis was never more glad to see someone's guts after Chung blew open Karis's head.

But then again, she was happy to see those very same guts that used to disgust her at this very moment.

Yes, Karis's twisted mentality had been passed down onto Elesis as well. The sight of blood got her heart racing, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Sometimes she'd have to force down ecstatic laughter, suppressing her bloodlust and excitement underneath a frosty mask.

She clamped a hand over her mouth, her body shaking as joyful giggles threatened to spill over pale lips. Not now, dammit!

Fucking stupid bitch and her fucking sadism...

Her mecha stepped on another person, Elesis's veins singing with glee as the unlucky soul let out a terrified scream that faded into a gargling noise. Slowly, a deranged smile crept up onto Elesis's face as she took in the death and destruction around her.

Ah, she was truly the happiest when she was in the middle of a fight.

And then it happened.

The back of her neck began to ache, tingling with what Elesis knew was anticipation. Someone strong, exceptionally strong, had just entered the battle. And they obviously weren't from around here, or she would've noticed them before.

Well, well, well.

It was a bit late for them to be joining the party, wasn't it?

Turning her mecha around slowly, Elesis's crimson eyes immediately landed on the rather conspicuous, cloak-clad woman standing off to the side watching the battle with glee, the corner of her pale lips twitching up in a sly grin. A feral look crossed the ebony-haired woman's orange gaze as the two of them locked eyes. Elesis felt an answering, wild smirk cross her face.

A kindred soul, then?

But before Elesis could make her move - she was itching to fight this new face, after all - the oriental girl frowned, her sharp gaze drifting down to the large case by her feet, a wrinkle of confusion creasing her brow. Elesis wondered somewhere in the back of her mind what was bothering her new... 'friend', but then she saw it.

The large, ordinary case by the woman's feet twitched.

It fucking twitched.

As if that thought triggered some sort of instinct, the case rattled louder, thrashing on the spot. The woman's frown deepened. Closing the distance, Elesis peered at the case warily. She knew she could handle the woman if she decided to attack, but the strange case was bothering her, and she wasn't sure why. It was then that the stranger's gaze clashed with Elesis's once more, before the woman's eyes gleamed. "Would you like to meet my brother? It seems he is eager to see you."

What?

"What?"

The woman chuckled, fixing her cloak. Thick hair spilled across her shoulder, and if Elesis wasn't too busy mentally figuring out the best way to burn her to a crisp, she would've said that the reddish light flattered her slim frame. Orange eyes flashed, flicking between Elesis and the thrashing case at her feet. "My brother wants to see you. And, well, what Aren wants, Aren gets." Without further hesitation, the woman bent down and tore off a thick, silver chain that sealed the case shut. Almost instantly, the lid flew open, followed by pale, slender limbs that grasped for something to anchor themselves to.

Elesis gaped in a rather unsightly manner as a young man pulled himself out of the case, taking in his new surroundings wildly. He was lithe and well-toned, like a wild mountain cat, built muscles rippling under pale skin as he moved. His thick, black hair was cropped just above his chin, tangled horribly from the time spent in the case. Orange, almost golden eyes swept his surroundings before settling on Elesis. Pale lips stretched into a too-wide grin, eyes glinting with a dangerous light. Elesis gasped.

This 'Aren' had to be one of the most wildly gorgeous creatures she had ever seen, but there was something wrong with him. Beyond wrong.

For starters, he was pale. Too pale. And the skin around his lips - almost as white as the snow she had once seen frosting the peak of a mountain - was slightly greenish, a sickly, toxic color. Dark bags, too dark to be from lack of sleep, hung around his eyes, and his eyes themselves... that gleam didn't come from bloodlust, cunning, or even excitement.

It came from death itself.

Fuck.

He was infected with the Altera spore.

_Days until the end of the world: 8_

* * *

><p>[AN:]

I'm NOT dead! I swear I'm not! See, this update proves it, right? Plus, FIRST UPDATE FOR THIS STORY OF 2015 (I get excited over little things)!

Yeah. School is evil. EVIL. We should burn it. Yeah, burn it...

Okay, I'm not crazy, I'm running off of like three hours of sleep because of homework and daylight savings (For those of you who don't have that, in the fall we set our clocks an hour back and in the spring we set the clocks and hour forwards. It's to make the most of the available daylight, and started sometime during WW1 as a way to conserve fuel. No one bothered to get rid of it and now I'm sleep deprived.) and partially because I just stayed up late. Meep.

Anyway, anyone know any good bad puns? That sounded weird. But you know what I mean, right? We're doing a project in my Literacy class where we're supposed to create the most cringe-worthy piece of writing possible, then analyze it and describe exactly _why_ it's cringe-worthy. Weird project, but fun. All I can think of right now are bird puns ("I'm pheasantly surprised that you figured that out." "It's a fowl habit of mine." "Ah, so toucan play at this game, can they?" *shot*) but that won't fly (no pun intended). So yeah, bad puns needed!

Moving on, onto REVIEWER REPLIES!

Palutena - Nope. You can't stop him now :P

Black Epidemic - Really? That's kinda funny XD IT SHALL BE CONTINUED. SLOWLY.

HellyKitty55443 - Yep! I'm alive! With really long intervals in between. Raven is mad because he has no love interest right now while Elsword and Aisha get to flirt whenever they want :P

SkittyFTW - Hello, new reader! Or reviewer, but I don't particularly care. Don't worry, I don't plan to stop writing for a long time! Thank you so much for your kind praise! I'm trying to up my posting time, but then a wild Life appeared, so... But March Break is coming up, so hopefully I can get things done then!

And now I have nothing else to talk about. So I'm going to catch up on sleep. That means! Don't forget to R&R, favorite and follow if you want, and see you all next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

He could smell blood.

Lots of it.

The thick, heavy scent surrounded him, tickling his senses and making the hunger in him grow.

_No... I don't... Don't need it..._

He growled.

What did he mean, he didn't need it?! Was his pathetic side trying to come out again?

Aren growled again, his head swinging around the bloody battlefield. Ah, how _good_ it felt to be outside once more, after being cramped inside his sister's case for what seemed like forever.

That black, black case that smelled of some flowery perfume. A perfume that smelled like home, that smelled like his mot-

No, no, no, no, no!

None of that! All of it was gone, everything, buried under green and white and black and red and _green_. Everything but his sister.

He liked his sister.

She always brought him to the best battlefields.

As Aren took in the sights of destruction around him, his eyes landed on a mechanical golem not too far from him. Atop the flaming beast stood a woman with flaming red hair, a black gas mask pulled over her face. Although there was plastic covering her eyes, he could see a flash of red glinting in her eyes. Her hands were curled around a wicked-looking whip, what appeared to be a gun resting at her side.

A demon?

No, was too tame a word. This woman was a murderer, a cutthroat, a hellion... deranged.

_Like him._

Pale, pale, pale.

Too cold and dry to be human.

Him. Green.

_Green._

Like envy. Like poison. _Like death. _A spore, a parasite, that's what he was. It lived in his veins, that green, that green that never went away. He was the green that haunted his sleepless nights, the green that drove him insane slowly over the passing days.

Her. Red.

_Red, like the blood he craved._

She was red, drenched from head to toe. Red, like her hair, singed and burnt. Red, like her eyes, narrowed and sharp. Red, like the fire, licking up her sides.

_Red, like the blood that ran through her veins._

Red.

Red.

"Red... red... red..."

That red was everywhere, bleeding into his vision and covering the ground. Aren snarled. Red. Red. Red. Red, everywhere, slicking his hands and his arms, running across the floor in streams. It swallowed that infuriating green, that blasted green, giving him a moment of rest from its endless torment.

Red.

Red.

_Death._

And he leapt into action, to find that red he so sought.

* * *

><p>For someone who was so fierce in battle and reputedly evil, it was a surprise to many that Chung Seiker was actually a friendly man.<p>

He helped out those who needed his help - although most people were too terrified to even respond - he took good care of his subordinates, he took good care of the people in his territory, and, most importantly, he was very merciful. Chung gave second chances, something that anyone else of his position rarely did. Chung trusted instantly, and rarely reinvested his trust. Chung let more people go than he killed.

Chung also disposed of the enemies he kept behind swiftly without much pain.

But, like all merciful men, there was a line to not be crossed. For Chung, that line was crossed when the offending party messed with his family, messed with his gang - who might as well have been his family - or if the offending party was the Black Gang.

Simple as that.

So when some insane madman who was definitely infected with the Alterasia spore jumped at his family - Elesis, to be specific - Chung didn't hesitate to lift his gun, fully intent on firing.

He _was_ fully intent on firing at the madman attacking his family. Until a madwoman leaped at him, hurtling across the rooftops, a roar of a war-cry ripping from her lungs.

"DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY BROTHER!"

Forced to switch targets, Chung pulled the trigger, firing several bullets in the oriental woman's direction. The woman dodged, ducking down briefly to pick up a fallen beam of wood, expertly sending it flying through the air like a javelin towards Chung. Calmly, Chung dug his knees into the mecha, urging to move.

It did nothing.

Cursing, Chung sprang off of the mecha, rolling to reduce the impact of his landing. Just as he rolled to his feet, the makeshift javelin hit where he would have been sitting, its pointed edge digging into the soft leather of his saddle.

Instantly turning, Chung pointed his gun at the mysterious woman. "Who the hell are you?" He spat out, gun trained on her head. The woman turned slowly, eyes meeting his. They flashed briefly, hatred glinting so strong that any lesser man would've been frozen with fear. "Well? I'm waiting for an answer."

Instead of a response, the woman raised her hand to her mouth, whistling sharply. The infected man who had been attacking Elesis suddenly froze, leaping backwards until he reached the woman.

The woman bent down, petting his head in an affectionate manner. The man growled. Chung's gun immediately jerked to him, ready to shoot if he made a move. The woman smiled serenely. "Brother, let's go somewhere else. They don't have what we're looking for."

Suddenly, another voice laughed from behind them, this one light and mockingly airy. "My apologies, but you have entered a battlefield. You cannot just enter and exit when you feel like it. Now you must stay until the end."

Chung's eyes narrowed, his gun changing targets once more.

Eve.

Eve smiled coldly, tucking her hair over her shoulder. "Chung. I see you've invited others besides us?"

Chung growled. "These... interlopers found their way to us. How can I be sure _you_ weren't the one to bring them to us?"

Eve chuckled. "Oh please. I need no help to crush you." Behind her, something exploded. The man jerked, the woman looking slightly alarmed that Chung and Eve were having a civil conversation in the middle of such a battle.

"Hmph." Standing up, Chung lowered his gun. "And? What makes you so confident you will be the one beating _me_?"

Eve smirked, turning on her heel to glance over her shoulder. "Because you are weak; a mere bug to be crushed. Now if you excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to. Rena."

The mecha, leaping off of a crumbling building, landed in front of Eve in a crouch. "Finish him." With that, Eve walked off, leaving Chung to face the mecha by himself.

"This is nothing, Eve. You're wasting your time by having me face her."

Eve ignored him.

* * *

><p>Raven was in the middle of crushing several mechas when he saw the flare go up. It billowed through the air, spewing thick grey smoke.<p>

"That's one of Eve's flares..."

Squinting, Raven spotted several other flares in the distance, all spewing the same grey smoke.

Eve's flares were grey in order to camouflage themselves in the midst of a battle, hidden to look like plumes of smoke that sprung up after an explosion. Only those in Eve's gang were able to tell the difference, being specifically trained to identify them.

As a sort-of member of the Black Gang, Raven was able to identify the flares and read the messages hidden within them. The one that he saw honestly surprised him.

"She's ordering a retreat?"

Scowling, Raven nudged his mecha in the direction of a crumbling building towards the outskirts of the battle. If Eve was ordering a retreat, she had some sort of plan that Raven didn't want to get caught in the middle of. Beginning his fleeing, he was interrupted by Elesis, who emerged from seemingly nowhere.

"Raven! Where are you going?! This battle isn't over yet!"

Gritting his teeth, Raven turned to the redhead.

_Damn her._

"I think I saw Add over there. It's about time someone crushed that little punk."

Add, Eve's cousin who was notorious for his infatuation with her, was a field mechanic for the Black Gang. No one knew how he did it, but he managed to sneak around the battlefields unseen and dismantled, tampered with, or repaired mechas depending on who they belonged to. He was a genius with the wrench and screwdriver, and subsequently one of the most sought after targets of the White Gang.

"I'll come with you; Add's one slippery bastard."

_Hell no._

"No, I can take him on my own. He's not getting away today. I need you to look for that fucking human mecha; there's no telling how much damage it can do to our members if it's left alone and not taken care of. I'll get Add, you get the mecha. Deal?"

Elesis hesitated for a moment, before nodding reluctantly.

"Alright. But don't hesitate to get me if you need help finding him, okay?"

Nodding, Raven watched as Elesis disappeared into the fray before making his own retreat, far into the distance. Turning to look back at the battlefield, Raven narrowed his eyes.

Just what was Eve planning?

* * *

><p>Eve stared at the sky above the battlefield, having made her own retreat long ago. It had been approximately five minutes since she sent out her retreat order, and she sincerely hoped that every one of her members had made it off of the field.<p>

If not, that was too bad for them.

"So then, Little Miss Mysterious. My name is Eve. Who are you?"

The oriental woman from before slid out of the shadows, shaking trunk by her feet and spear in hand.

"Why should I tell you?"

Eve smirked, turning to face her. "Your brother, the man in the trunk. He's infected with the Alterasia spore. Without treatment and in his current state, he won't live for more than a month."

The woman growled, her spear lowering to point at Eve. "And what does that have to do with who I am?"

Turning back around to glance at the battlefield, Eve's eyes flashed. "I can cure him within two weeks. Tell me who you are and join my gang," the word was spat out with hatred, "and I can cure him. Does that not sound fair to you?"

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Why should I trust you?"

Eve tsked, settling a hand on her hip. "Questions, questions. If you must know, I was a doctor before the Black Gang. The Alterasia spore was a project that myself and two others, Dr. Oberon Cervantes and his wife, Dr. Ophelia Cervantes, were working on. It was intended to be the cure to a particularly horrifying disease commonly known as 'Envy Poisoning' for the way it turned its victims completely green, eating away at their insides while they were still alive.

"Our project was going well, until Ophelia came in contact with a sample of the Envy Poison we were studying. Desperate to save her, Oberon released the unfinished spore into the air in an attempt to save her. Unfortunately, the spore simply mixed with the Envy Poison instead of curing it, creating what is known today as the Alterasia spore. And I can cure it, if you give me some time to prepare the cure."

Here, she locked eyes with the woman. "So, what say you?"

The woman let out a heaving sigh. "...My name is Ara. My brother is Aren."

Nodding, Eve let out a small smile. "Welcome. I will start working on the cure once I take care of this filth."

Curiously leaning over Eve, Ara took in the sight of a massive control panel, several switched and buttons blinking. "Tell me, Eve, why are you so obsessed with this battery - oh don't look at me like that, everyone knows you all want the 'miracle battery' - and destroying Chung."

Eve smiled eerily, her hands flying over the panel to press several buttons and flick several switches.

"Because," she said, lifting a plastic cover to reveal a final button. "I am the sun, and he is the moon." Her next words were said as she pressed the button, her smile widening impossibly.

"In order for me to rise, he must go down."

And with her words, the former battlefield exploded in flame.

* * *

><p>[AN:]

Update after forever and ever! Yay! Thank the songs _Cypher PT.1_, _Cypher PT.2: Triptych, _and _Cypher PT.3: KILLER_ for actually getting me through this chapter! (All are amazing and throw enough shade to end global warming XD)

I absolutely love that line about being the sun and the moon (Which totally came from _Cypher PT.2: Triptych)_. I feel like it perfectly describes the current relationship that Eve and Chung have; they're both so different, yet both aim to occupy the sky and have similar jobs.

So yup, stuff is going down. Eve just kerboomed the entire battlefield, Ara is joining, FIRST MENTION OF ADD IN THIS STORY, and we figure out exactly what the Alterasia spore is!

I don't have anything amazing to say for this chapter. I'm running out of ideas as I type. So I'm probably just going to cut it here and start reviewer replies.

**AvidMind: **Oh my goodness, these puns are probably the only reason why I passed that project XD Thanks for your input! I couldn't have done it without you! My personal favorites are the Gandhi one (even though I probably shouldn't find it as funny as I did) and deja moo ^^

**Guest1: **Thank you very much for your praise. Hopefully this story will continue to live up to your expectations! As for the review count, the current archive is more geared to romantic stories set in high school, and considering that this story is so far out of those parameters, it's not really what people are looking for.

And now I'm done. I should probably be writing more chapters. Or doing my beta reading that's about two weeks overdue. Meh, I'll do it eventually.

So! Everyone who's heading back to school (or is already in school), good luck for the new year! Don't forget to R&R, follow and favorite if you want, and see you next chapter!


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